The Khmer Rouge's chief torturer has finally faced a court more than 30 years
after he is said to have overseen the murder and torture of more than 15,000
Cambodians.

Kaing Guek Eav, 66, better known as Comrade Duch, was executioner for the ultra-Maoist regime which devastated Cambodia in the late 1970s. He was exposed in 1999 by the British journalist Nic Dunlop.

The former maths teacher is accused of torturing and then murdering thousands of men, women and children incarcerated at the prison he ran in a former Phnom Penh high school.

Chief judge Nil Nonn told the court and a packed public gallery of 500 witnesses: "This first hearing represents the realisation of significant efforts in establishing a fair and independent tribunal to try those in senior leadership positions."

The trial is the result of a decade of strained negotiations between Cambodia and the United Nations and three years of faltering preparations.

The opening exchanges of a day of dry legal argument were broadcast live on national television and radio. Witness testimony, and Duch's own highly anticipated account of events, are not expected until next month.

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At least 1.7 million Cambodians, equivalent to almost a quarter of the population, are believed to have been killed or died of starvation and overwork during a reign of terror that lasted little over three years.

Only around a dozen prisoners are known to have survived Duch's torture centre, known as S-21.

One of the survivors, Vann Nath, who entered the court with two other former inmates, said: "This is the day we have waited for, for 30 years. But I don't know if it will end my suffering."

Yet although Duch answered to the party's central committee he was not one of the regime's top leaders.

Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge's 'Brother Number One' died in 1998. The four most senior surviving leaders are all in custody awaiting trial, although many fear that the process is running so slowly that some of them may also die before facing justice.

Many observers believe the Cambodian government is deliberately slowing the process to prevent sensitive history from being raked over in court. Many powerful people in Cambodia have dubious histories they may prefer to forget.

The latest controversy to effect the court is over how many people to prosecute – with the international prosecutor recommending six more suspects while his Cambodian colleague has opposed fresh cases, drawing allegations of political interference.

According to Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch: "There are dozens of people with thousands of deaths on their hands running around out there still. They deserve their day in court."

Nevertheless, for the first time Cambodians are now looking forward to hearing from at least one of the perpetrators why the genocide took place. "Today is very important for me. I will listen very clearly for the reasons that the Khmer Rouge killed people," said Oum Yon, whose father and two brothers were killed.